Table Of Content

spine=.768” Internet/Security Making Everything Easier!™ Protect your privacy and use the Internet more securely with aIsnd’t vthiec Ient efrrnoetm am sazainfge? tByut eohx, tphee rristkss you’ve Open the book and find: Usi Usi ng the I nte rnet Sa fe ly (cid:127) T he tools you need to protect n heard about — online identity theft, e-mail scams your computer from viruses g trying to separate you from your bank accounts, phony (cid:127) A guide to your rights when t For Seniors medical information, and more. Here’s the guide you F using the Internet h need to steer through the hazards with confidence, oe (cid:127) How you can help keep your r so you can shop, visit, invest, explore, pay bills, and do I grandchildren safer online Sn dozens of other things online — more securely. et (cid:127) A glossary of common ne (cid:127) Have fun — find out how to share photos and videos, chat computer terms r with others, and participate in online discussions — safely i on (cid:127) Ways to find movies, games, (cid:127) Choose passwords with muscle — they don’t have to be re and music to enjoy online hard to remember, just hard to guess st (cid:127) How to use social networking S (cid:127) Keep your information to yourself — see how personal sites safely a info is collected and used by legitimate companies — and f crooks (cid:127) Surprising ways your personal e information can be stolen l (cid:127) Safely surfin’ — follow these tips to set up a browser, use y search engines effectively, and sidestep suspicious ads (cid:127) Protect your pocket — with strong passwords and Learn to: reasonable caution, online banking and bill-paying might be safer than using your neighborhood bank Go to dummies.com® (cid:127) Socialize online safely (cid:127) Stay healthier with online advice — discover how to spot for more! reputable healthcare sites and avoid medical ID theft and (cid:127) Create strong passwords scams (cid:127) Learn how to spot online risks — discover how online (cid:127) Identify trusted sites criminals think, how to recognize risks, and how seniors can become safer online (cid:127) Spot e-mail and ID theft scams Linda Criddle is an internationally recognized Internet safety $21.99 US / $25.99 CN / £15.99 UK and technology expert and President of LOOKBOTHWAYS Inc., which develops online safety curriculum and software. ISBN 978-0-470-45745-0 Nancy C. Muir has written more than 40 books on technology and is the Director of Content Development for LOOKBOTHWAYS. Linda Criddle Learn more at www.ilookbothways.com. Criddle Nancy C. Muir Muir 01_457450-ffirs.qxp 2/26/09 11:10 PM Page iv 01_457450-ffirs.qxp 2/26/09 11:10 PM Page i Using the Internet Safely For Seniors FOR DUMmIES ‰ by Linda Criddle and Nancy Muir 01_457450-ffirs.qxp 2/26/09 11:10 PM Page ii Using the Internet Safely For Seniors For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley. com/go/permissions. Trademarks:Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REP- RESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDER- STANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPE- TENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMA- TION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2009922969 ISBN: 978-0-470-45745-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_457450-ffirs.qxp 2/26/09 11:10 PM Page iii About the Authors Linda Criddle is an internationally recognized expert in online safety and teaches extensively in schools and universities. Linda is the author, along with Nancy Muir, of the award winning book Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet (Microsoft Press, 2006). She has also developed an online course titled Internet Safety for Educators being offered through Washington State University and The University of Alaska. Linda has worked with governments, law enforcement, and companies around the world and is a frequent speaker at Internet-safety related conferences worldwide. Her company, LOOKBOTHWAYS, Inc., develops software, consults with companies, governments, and law enforcement on Internet safety, and writes educational curriculum. Learn more at their Web site, www.ilookbothways.com. Nancy Muir has worked with Linda Criddle on Internet safety-related projects for the past three years, co-authored two books with Linda, and developed and taught an online course. Nancy has written over fifty technology and business books, and produced video programming for major corporations such as IBM and Symantec. Prior to her writing career Nancy was a publishing executive with several major technology book publishers including John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and MacMillan Publishing. Nancy has taught technical writing at Purdue University/Indiana University, and holds a certificate in Distance Learning Design from The University of Washington. She currently over- sees content development for LOOKBOTHWAYS, Inc. 01_457450-ffirs.qxp 2/26/09 11:10 PM Page iv 01_457450-ffirs.qxp 2/26/09 11:10 PM Page v Authors’ Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank project editor Blair Pottenger for his able stewardship of this project and his flexibility in working towards the best book possible. Thanks also to Katie Mohr and Greg Croy, acquisitions editors for the book, for believing in the need for a safer online world and this book. A tip of our hats also to Joyce Nielsen, technical editor, for an eagle-eyed review, and to copy editor Heidi Unger, whose wordsmithing skills kept our writing literate. A special thanks to Linda’s mom and dad, Richard and JoAn Criddle, for their prodding to get this book written, and for the inspiration and guidance they gave along the way. Dedication The authors wish to dedicate this book to all the brave 50+ folks who are jumping online to discover all the Internet has to offer and helping to make the online world a safer one through vigilance and good online citizenship. 01_457450-ffirs.qxp 2/26/09 11:10 PM Page vi Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions and Editorial Composition Services Project Editor:Blair J. Pottenger Project Coordinator:Katie Key Executive Editor:Greg Croy Layout and Graphics:Sarah Philippart Acquisitions Editor:Katie Mohr Proofreader:Nancy L. Reinhardt Copy Editor:Heidi Unger Indexer:Broccoli Information Management Technical Editor:Joyce Nielsen Editorial Manager:Kevin Kirschner Editorial Assistant:Amanda Foxworth Sr. Editorial Assistant:Cherie Case Cartoons:Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies Richard Swadley,Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Andy Cummings,Vice President and Publisher Mary Bednarek,Executive Acquisitions Director Mary C. Corder,Editorial Director Publishing for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele,Vice President and Publisher Composition Services Gerry Fahey,Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey,Director of Composition Services 02_457450-ftoc.qxp 2/26/09 11:10 PM Page vii Table Of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 About This Book.........................................................................................1 Foolish Assumptions..................................................................................1 Why You Need This Book..........................................................................2 How This Book Is Organized.....................................................................3 Get Going!..................................................................................................4 Part I: The Foundation of Using the Internet Safely ....................5 Chapter 1: Understand What’s Going On Out There..............................7 Congratulations: You’re the Most Sought-After Generation Online.......8 Roads Have Rules, The Internet Doesn’t.................................................10 Online Anonymity...................................................................................12 It’s Not Always about Technology; It’s Often about Behavior...............14 Hit or Myth: Online Information Exposure...........................................16 Keep Your Information Private................................................................18 How Information Accumulates...............................................................18 Online Information Is Forever.................................................................21 Chapter 2: How the Internet Views You ..............................................23 Understand the Online Financial Model................................................23 What Information Do Others Want, and Why?.....................................25 How Posted Information May Be Used against You..............................26 Set Boundaries for Information Exposure..............................................27 How Web Sites Use Demographics.........................................................29 How Search Engines Use Your Information...........................................31 Understand Terms and Conditions.........................................................32 Quizzes and Surveys.................................................................................34 Protect Yourself.........................................................................................36 Chapter 3: Raise Your Safety Bar Today..............................................39 Avoid Online Chain Letters.....................................................................39 Don’t Play Russian Roulette with Links..................................................41 02_457450-ftoc.qxp 2/26/09 11:10 PM Page viii Using the Internet Safely For Seniors For Dummies Create Safer E-Mail Aliases......................................................................44 Use Passwords Wisely..............................................................................46 Recognize Weak Passwords......................................................................47 Create Strong Passwords..........................................................................48 Beware of Simple Password Hints...........................................................50 Figure Out Who’s Exposing You..............................................................51 Be Careful What You Share Online.........................................................52 Avoid Risky Default Settings....................................................................54 Spot Bad Sites a Mile Away......................................................................56 Understand the Risks in Contests and Sweepstakes..............................58 Part II: Using the Internet While Dodging the Risk...................61 Chapter 4: Navigating the Internet Safely...........................................63 Choose the Best Browser for You............................................................64 Identify Secure and Trusted Web Sites....................................................67 Explore Browser Navigation....................................................................68 Use Tabs in Browsers................................................................................71 Set Up a Home Page................................................................................72 Add a Web Site to Favorites.....................................................................74 Organize Favorites....................................................................................75 View Your Browsing History....................................................................76 Search the Internet...................................................................................78 Search Within a Web Page.......................................................................80 Use Caution with Internet Ads................................................................82 Avoid Download Theft and Plagiarism...................................................85 Download Safely......................................................................................86 Customize Browser Security Settings......................................................87 Chapter 5: Risk-Free E-Mail................................................................89 E-Mail Safety Basics..................................................................................90 Create an E-Mail Account........................................................................92 Create Safe E-Mail Aliases........................................................................97 ➟ Hide Your Name in E-Mails.....................................................................99 Send an E-Mail........................................................................................101 Add an Attachment.................................................................................103 viii